Washington — The Senate confirmed Jennifer Homendy as the new chair of the National Transportation Safety Board with a voice vote Aug. 9.

Columbia, MD — Seven health care organizations are calling on hospitals, nursing homes and other health care facilities to mandate COVID-19 vaccination among personnel.

Washington — OSHA is planning to convene a small business panel on Oct. 4 to discuss a potential standard on emergency response, the Small Business Administration has announced.

Washington — NIOSH has finalized the beta version of an online software tool designed to provide post-shift assessments of mine worker exposure to respirable crystalline silica.

Washington — In response to new data and updated recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, OSHA has updated its COVID-19 guidance in an effort to help employers protect at-risk or unvaccinated workers.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit recently issued a decision (No. 19-9533) on the appeal of OSHA citations related to process safety management at the Wynnewood Refinery in Wynnewood, OK. The court ruled in favor of the agency.

In Episode 18, the S+H editorial team discusses the pros and cons of safety incentives, along with OSHA’s evolving stance on the topic. Also: Transportation safety expert Brian Hammer answers our questions about road safety, as more workers begin to commute to their workplace again.

Chicago — The American Medical Association has updated its Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, “used extensively in the United States and abroad as a critical input to determining fair compensation for individuals with work-related injuries.”

Boston — U.S. employers spent more than $1 billion a week on the most disabling injuries in 2018, according to the 2021 Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index – an annual ranking of serious, nonfatal workplace injuries.

Boston — The top five costliest injuries in the construction industry in 2018 had a combined price tag of nearly $9 billion, according to the Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index – an annual ranking of serious, nonfatal workplace injuries based on direct workers’ compensation costs involving more than five days away from work.